The Chicago Lighthouse is a
non-profit
A nonprofit organization (NPO) or non-profit organisation, also known as a non-business entity, not-for-profit organization, or nonprofit institution, is a legal entity organized and operated for a collective, public or social benefit, in co ...
organization located in
Chicago, Illinois
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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.
The Lighthouse is one of the oldest social service agencies in Chicago. Among the many programs it offers are a school for children with multi-disabilities; job training and placement; a low vision clinic; and a manufacturing facility that boasts the nation's sole contract to supply clocks to the U.S. government. The Lighthouse is regarded as the most comprehensive agency of its kind in the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and a model agency nationally.
During its existence, The Chicago Lighthouse has improved the quality of life for people who are
blind or
visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
and has provided opportunities toward increased
independent living
Independent living (IL), as seen by its advocates, is a philosophy, a way of looking at society and disability, and a worldwide movement of disabled people working for equal opportunities, self-determination, and self-respect. In the context o ...
.
History
![Helen KellerA](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f7/Helen_KellerA.jpg)
The Chicago Lighthouse was founded by a group of blind and sighted women volunteers in 1906 and called the "Improvement Association for the Blind". Its founding purpose was to provide basic care and community services for blind and
visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
individuals.
By 1918, The Chicago Lighthouse trained and placed 46 blind or visually impaired men and women in competitive work. Job opportunities included crafting coffin handles and edges, assembling various products such as electrical wires for
Edison Appliance Company, and hand weaving baskets, which were later to be sold as gift items in the shops and holiday catalogs of
Marshall Field's
Marshall Field & Company (commonly known as Marshall Field's) was an upscale department store in Chicago, Illinois. Founded in the 19th century, it grew to become a large chain before Macy's, Inc acquired it in 2005. Its eponymous founder, Mar ...
.
In 1931, The Chicago Lighthouse's original name, "Improvement Association for the Blind", was changed to "The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind".
In 1955, The Chicago Lighthouse hosted a dedication ceremony of a new building at which
Helen Keller was the keynote speaker.
Helen Keller was a common visitor to the lighthouse's annual dinners during the 1940s and 1950s.
The Chicago Lighthouse Low Vision Clinic – the first of its kind in the
Midwest
The Midwestern United States, also referred to as the Midwest or the American Midwest, is one of four Census Bureau Region, census regions of the United States Census Bureau (also known as "Region 2"). It occupies the northern central part of ...
and the second in the nation – was formally established in 1957, involving both the
Illinois Optometric Association and the
Chicago Ophthalmological Society, to provide low vision services for people whose vision cannot be improved with standard corrective lenses.
The agency officially changed its name from "The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind" to "The Chicago Lighthouse for People Who Are Blind or Visually Impaired" in 1999. In 2015, the organization shortened its official name to simply The Chicago Lighthouse.
Assistive Technologies
In 2020, the Chicago Lighthouse obtained an assistive device called the OrCam MyEye 2.0 which was provided to a number of employees. The MyEye 2.0 is voice-activated and allows visually impaired people to comprehend text and visual images by transforming them into sound.
Chicago Lighthouse Industries and China
Chicago Lighthouse Industries is a manufacturing facility that employs people who are
blind or
visually impaired
Visual impairment, also known as vision impairment, is a medical definition primarily measured based on an individual's better eye visual acuity; in the absence of treatment such as correctable eyewear, assistive devices, and medical treatment†...
. It has grown from a workshop environment in the early years to a professional manufacturer in the last three decades.
The Chicago Lighthouse was awarded a contract with the
Federal Government
A federation (also known as a federal state) is a political entity characterized by a union of partially self-governing provinces, states, or other regions under a central federal government (federalism). In a federation, the self-governin ...
in 1977 to produce wall clocks. A year later, Chicago Lighthouse Industries was officially initiated. The wall clocks are sold to several departments of the Federal Government, including the
Department of Defense Department of Defence or Department of Defense may refer to:
Current departments of defence
* Department of Defence (Australia)
* Department of National Defence (Canada)
* Department of Defence (Ireland)
* Department of National Defense (Philippin ...
, and to and through various commercial entities.
On February 2, 2005, The Chicago Lighthouse was featured on the front page of ''
The Wall Street Journal
''The Wall Street Journal'' is an American business-focused, international daily newspaper based in New York City, with international editions also available in Chinese and Japanese. The ''Journal'', along with its Asian editions, is published ...
''. The article by Michael J. McCarthy covered how the Lighthouse Industries was coping with competition from foreign countries like
China
China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. It is the world's most populous country, with a population exceeding 1.4 billion, slightly ahead of India. China spans the equivalent of five time zones and ...
.
:"The clock is ticking for The Chicago Lighthouse," writes McCarthy, "which faces heavy new competition from China. In the past four years, U.S. imports of wall clocks -- most of them from China -- have increased by 24%, totaling $121 million in 2003."
However, in 1938
President Roosevelt signed the
Wagner-O'Day Act which directed the government to purchase products manufactured by blind Americans. In 1971, Senator
Jacob Javits
Jacob Koppel Javits ( ; May 18, 1904 – March 7, 1986) was an American lawyer and politician. During his time in politics, he represented the state of New York in both houses of the United States Congress. A member of the Republican Party, he a ...
introduced legislation known as the
Javits–Wagner–O'Day Act
The Javits–Wagner–O'Day Act et seq. is a U.S. federal law requiring that all federal agencies purchase specified supplies and services from nonprofit agencies employing persons who are blind or have other significant disabilities. The Act wa ...
, extending the act to severely disabled individuals. For a long time, The Chicago Lighthouse was a dominant player in the wall clock business. Today, not every government buyer is aware of The Chicago Lighthouse's favored status as a manufacturer, because the government more than a decade ago decentralized buying and encouraged individual departments to seek bargains.
:"But China isn't cleaning Chicago Lighthouse's clock just yet," adds McCarthy. "The company's sales have actually crept up a bit in recent years amid a push to make its clocks available to corporations and the general public."
The issue has since raised the attention of former
United States President
The president of the United States (POTUS) is the head of state and head of government of the United States of America. The president directs the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United State ...
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the U ...
, who visited The Lighthouse in the summer of 2005.
Congressman
A Member of Congress (MOC) is a person who has been appointed or elected and inducted into an official body called a congress, typically to represent a particular constituency in a legislature. The term member of parliament (MP) is an equivalen ...
Danny Davis encouraged officials on the
House Floor in
Washington
Washington commonly refers to:
* Washington (state), United States
* Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States
** A metonym for the federal government of the United States
** Washington metropolitan area, the metropolitan area centered on ...
to purchase from the Lighthouse with the following remarks:
:We are always looking for the most cost-efficient way of doing business. We also better look at the needs of our people and we better look at the needs of the people in our community to provide opportunities for blind people to work, to have dignity, to have pride, to have a sense of self-worth. We should not let anything erode that, we should not let anything take that away and so I would urge us, as we purchase, as we continue to purchase clocks, that we remember something the bible says: "Where there is no vision, the people perish." Some people can see but have no vision; sometimes our policies reflect the ability to see, but not in a visionary way. Please, America, let's not put the people at The Chicago Lighthouse for the Blind out of work. Let's keep them working and hopefully all the rest of us will be able to see.
References
{{Reflist
External links
The Chicago Lighthouse Web SiteChicago Lighthouse Industries Web SiteCommittee for Purchase From People Who Are Blind or Severely DisabledNational Industries for the Blind
Blindness organizations in the United States
Non-profit organizations based in Chicago